Note to commuters and users of train services into and out of Southend…

From Sunday 23rd May 2010, the timetables for c2c and National Express East Anglia will be changing.

You can now download or browse the new timetables:

New C2C Timetable: www.c2c-online.co.uk/travel_information/train_timetable

New National Express Timetable: www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com/travel_information/train_timetables

In a far cry from the old LTS “Misery Line” days of the Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness rail service, current operator of the line, c2c, has just beaten the record for service performance.

c2c has become the first train operator in the UK to get punctuality score of 96% for a 12 month period.

c2c’s MD Julian Drury said “The efforts our team have made, in conjunction with our partners at Network Rail, in focusing on the detail required in providing the best possible and highly punctual train service have really paid off.”

The most reliable train company in the UK? Do you agree? Happy with your train service? Comments appreciated here as a comment, or in the c2c users forum.

Silence is golden – and it’s about to be enforced on c2c.

For a while now, c2c has been running one in four of its train carriages as a "Quiet Zone", where mobile phones and other electronic devices are banned – but this is tricky to enforce, and sometimes scowls from fellow travellers just doesn’t work…

Soon, c2c will be making use of new technology on the Southend to Fenchurch Street line to block mobile phone signals.

Windows on the quiet carriages will be coated with a special film that will let light, but not RF radio frequencies, in and out of the carriage.

c2c says that this is in response to customer demand for a quieter trip, and a better option that trying to police a "keep quiet" policy on its train services.

Last night, c2c‘s management backed down. After their flawed new timetable was condemned by passengers, c2c has decided to return to their original timetable in January 07. More at www.c2cuser.co.uk

On Monday 11th December 2006, c2c introduced a new timetable, and passengers have been suffering the consequences – long delays and crowded trains, ever since.

Passengers are dreading the return of the misery line, and changes to the timetable just one week later have made little difference. If your journey has been messed with, you may want to sign the petition at www.petitiononline.com/c2c – nearly 4000 protest signatures so far.

For more on this story, see our c2c forum

The Evening Echo website is covering this to, including details of a passenger protest at Fenchurch Street 6pm today (Monday).

You may also want to sign up to the unofficial c2c mailing list

Get your voice heard, and let’s not return to the misery line!